Ancient Future Retreat:
The Gathering
Next retreat spring 2027
Lafayette, louisiana
In-person gathering in the swamp with AFC Alumni, Cohort Members, and Instructors both new & familiar. Connect to nature, the instructors, each other, and the reason you chose this path.
This gathering is only open to participants and instructors of the AFC Online Cohorts or past retreats.
This isn't a beginner's retreat. It isn't even a "retreat" - it's much more than that.
This is for the ones who've already begun walking the path, who've sat through the cohort sessions/retreats, are developing their sound, and are ready for something deeper. This is about remembering why you started.
The April 2026 Gathering is an invitation exclusively for AFC alumni to come together in the swamp, connect with each other, and with the creative force that called us all to this work.
More spaciousness. More nature. More jamming. More silence. More ceremony. Less classroom, more connection.
A One-of-a-Kind 5 Day Immersive Retreat Deep in the Heart of the Louisiana Swamps
This is the form of the AFC Swamp Retreats we've all been waiting for.
An intimate gathering of 15 AFC alumni - people who already speak the same creative language - coming together to go deeper.
Floating maloca sessions, swamp adventures in the pontoons, ceremony, collaborative jam sessions, organic Cajun feasts, and the kind of conversations that only happen when you're surrounded by your tribe in the middle of nowhere.
No (structured) curriculum. No pressure. Just space to co-create, connect, and remember what this is all about.
We will be hosting intermittent Ableton sessions, project breakdowns, and co-creation sprints, but are not following the 5-day curriculum from prior AFC retreats.
THE
Unlock a realm of creativity hidden in the intersection of nature and technology
ANCIENT
FUTURE
Join your tribe in the swamp
A new take on the AFC Swamp Retreats. Less curriculum. Even more connection, jamming, food, and nature.
What To Expect
Create your own sonic language.
REMEMBER YOUR WHY
Step away from the screens and the noise. Reconnect with the intention that first called you to create. Through guided discussions, ceremony, and time in nature, rediscover the deeper purpose behind your music and this path.
CREATE TOGETHER
Collaborative jam sessions, spontaneous studio time, and creative experiments with fellow producers who get it. No agenda - just flow. Some of the best music happens when the pressure is off and the right people are in the room.
GO DEEPER
This gathering includes a ceremonial experience designed for reflection, integration, and expanded awareness of your artistic intentions. A transformative container held with care, woven into the tapestry of the gathering.
IMMERSION
The swamp does something tangible to all who enter her. Sunset listening & dance sessions on the water, night creature sounds from the floating maloca, field recording adventures, and the kind of deep presence that only comes from being fully immersed in nature.
Learn, Immerse, Eat, Play & Connect
Deepen your creative practice alongside people who truly understand the work.
Feast on incredible organic meals and bold Cajun dishes, prepared by the only and only Spirit & Flavor. (IYKYK)
Feel the pulse of the swamp, become infinitely present, and reconnect with what matters most.
Strengthen the bonds with your creative tribe - people who will support your creative journey for life.
What's included?
- 5-day immersive gathering in the Atchafalaya Swamp for AFC Alumni
- Lodging in a cozy Louisiana waterfront property (private room upgrade available)
- Production sessions, project file breakdowns, and creative workshops with Savej, Mah Ze Tar, & TBD instructors, going beyond the AFC curriculum into advanced techniques, creative philosophy, and collaborative experimentation
- A ceremonial experience held in the world's only floating maloca - an intentional container for deep reflection on your artistic intentions
- Organic meals prepared daily - authentic Cajun dishes and nourishing, love-infused food
- Daily swamp adventures, sunset active listening sessions, and field recording excursions in the AFC pontoon boats
- Collaborative jam sessions and open studio time - space to create freely with your fellow producers - outside in the swamp
- Maloca gatherings for deep creative discussions, intention setting, and the kind of conversations that change the way you see your craft
- Pure, unadulterated, straight up vibes
Past alumni unanimously report this retreat to be a “peak life experience”, which lights our souls on fire and reaffirms our mission at the AFC.
You already know what the swamp does to people. You've felt it yourself or heard the stories from your peers who've been.
This gathering is designed to go even deeper. More spaciousness.
More presence. More time for the moments between the moments - the conversations at sunset, the jam sessions that go until 2am, the silence that speaks louder than a festival rig.
You'll leave the swamp feeling recharged, reconnected to your creative purpose, and more bonded with your tribe than ever. Seriously.
This gathering is designed to be an equally meaningful experience for everyone involved. Quality hangs, collaborative jam sessions, swamp adventures, ceremony, and endless creative play are what define the AFC Gathering.
PAST
INSTRUCTORS
Savej hosts every gathering. The instructors below have taught at past AFC retreats and cohorts. The next lineup is announced to registered participants.
Born and raised in the wild depths of Louisiana’s Honey Island Swamp, Savej delivers a one-of-a-kind fusion of ancient medicine music and modern bass. His signature “Ancient Future” sound blends world music, organic soundscapes, tribal grooves, and high-energy bass, infused with a distinct swampy flair that bridges the gap between cultures and eras.
Savej’s live experience is an immersive sonic ceremony, taking audiences on a rollercoaster ride through the sacred and the profane, the mystical and the irresistibly groovy - while deeply reconnecting them to the full spectrum of the human experience and the natural world.
From stages like the legendary Luna Stage at Envision Festival in Costa Rica to the A-Lot at Area 15 in Las Vegas, Savej consistently pushes the boundaries of music, offering a transformative, high-energy celebration that’s both ancient and future.
Savej holds a deep passion for his frequent collaborations with indigenous communities and continues to be entrusted as a bridge to infuse timeless medicine songs into his music, a mission which directly supports the cultures they originate from through donation of record sales and creation of NFTs infusing indigenous art and music.
Maz Karandish is a Devotee of music-A well traveled vocalist & multi-instrumentalist coveringgrounds from Rāga, Maqām, and Dastgāh to Harmony, Jazz, and Opera.
Maz feels deeply connected to the ancient musical traditions of the East, which he began learning at a very young age.
As an Ethnomusicologist and a practicing Psychologist, he has come to recognize that people in his generation have an easier time engaging with traditional music when it’s integrated with familiar rhythmic and sonic environments. Maz devotes his musical time to exploring the possible weaving of Indian, Persian, Greek and Turkish music with modern soundscapes.
The sounds of distant lands are served on a platter of familiar body moving bass lines and thumping grooves. Māh Ze Tār is an active performing member of Balkan Bump and has had significant musical collaborations with Desert Dwellers, David Starfire, Jef Stott, Morillo, Akriza, Nyrus, Adham Shaikh, and many others.
Notable performances: Red Rocks, Coachella, Lightning in a Bottle, Gem & Jam, Joshua Tree, Lucidity, Symbiosis, Oregon Eclipse, BurningMan, Oregon Country Fair, Haurkaze Tokyo Festival amongst many others.
HABITAAT (Tomas Wischerath) is a multifaceted DJ composer that uses a creative mixture of natural sounds, melodies, and euphoric dance beats to bridge the gap between the natural world and electronic dance music.
Brazil-born and Bay Area raised, HABITAAT’s unique production is influenced by Hip-Hop, cinematic movie scores, and underground club music, with the aim to make you feel like you are surrounded by nature.
HABITAAT has opened for artists like Bonobo, Clozee, Duke Dumont, and Whethan. With a unique fusion of earthy melodic storytelling and a vast range of rhythms and instruments from around the globe.
Geometrae has taught at the Spring 2024 and Fall 2024 gatherings.
Chmura is an absolute trailblazer in the underground bass music scene, known for his unique combination of heavy-hitting bass rhythms and lush, cinematic melodies.
With appearances at Envision, Electric Forest, Mission Ballroom, and many more festivals and pristine venues, he's on a well-deserved tearout that's hard to miss.
Originating from the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, ethereal beatsmith Saturna has an artistic voice unlike any other.
Saturna is a sonic story-teller who weaves layers of deeply emotive melodies and organic rhythms with cinematic flair.
A lifelong musician, Saturna is dedicated to stitching together narrative threads into a tapestry of distorted synths, warm throbbing basslines and lush percussive elements.
Mfinity is a shrouded enigma in the realm of electronic bass, weaving melancholic soundscapes that transport listeners to a realm of mystery and wonder.
His musical creations are born from his deeply personal childhood memories and the world around him, stirring a nostalgic ache in the hearts of those who experience them.
His music is a unique tapestry of organic sound design, undulating basslines, and intricately woven beat patterns.
Drawing inspiration from a multitude of musical styles, from ambient and trip-hop to future garage and world bass, Mfinity weaves a genre-defying sound that is wholly his own.